My Epic Journey

For the past few years, instead of coming up with New Year’s Resolutions that often get broken, I have found that God places a specific verse or passage in my path and heart.  I then set, as my goal, to both memorize the passage and live it out.

This year, God has placed this passage on my heart,

Philippians 4:11-12 (NIV)
¹¹I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

In a world and culture that is so materialistic-driven, I would love to find my contentment in God and who I am in Him instead of stuff I have or don’t have.

God, my prayer to you is that I find myself being satisfied in you and only you!  Amen.

I, like many others, struggle with the concept of Resolutions.  I am always challenged by what the New Year brings but frustrated over the fact that I failed so miserably with the previous year’s resolutions.

Last year I changed it up though and challenged myself to make one verse my resolution verse for the year.  That verse was:

1 John 2:6 (NIV)
⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Though I didn’t do this to the fullest, I did strive to do all I could to walk as Jesus walked.

This year my verse resolution is,

Proverbs 4:25-27 (NIV)
²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶ Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.
²⁷ Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

My heart’s desire is that this verse would be upon my mind and heart throughout the entire year!

Okay, I am aware that it is not Monday but since I missed a couple of weeks due to Christmas, I thought it would be best to post one now at the beginning of the New Year.

ORANGE.  Where Faith and Family intersect.

Activity:  New Year’s Covenants

I am sure each and everyone of us has sat down, at the end of the year, to evaluate the past year and to vision about the coming year.  I know I have.  As long as I can remember I have sat down to write out New Year’s resolutions.  From losing weight, to becoming better organized, to connect more with God.  And yet, at the end of the year, I seem to have failed WAY MORE than I was successful.  The problem with resolutions are just that, they are a resolve to change.  I think it best to make a covenant to change, a contract with God and with others, to live differently.

Application:

With that in mind, sit down as a family.  Talk about what the year looked like as a family and individually. (Parents, don’t be afraid to be honest about your shortcomings as well.  Your student already knows them.)  After you have listed areas you can improve, write out a covenant to God as a family as to how you are going to improve in the New Year.  Sign it as a family and post it up in a prominent place (such as, refrigerator, front door, etc.).  Then hold each other accountable to keeping the family covenant.